Once again the field is set for the annual STIHL National Championship Air Races with 145 planes and 155 pilots racing for glory Sept. 15-19 just north of downtown Reno, Nev.
The Air Races and Air Shows of today have a fascinating hidtorical lineage extending back to airmail postal history celebrations of early air races, air shows and civic events. Introduction of cachet covers for the postal historians was a natural, and came almost immediately. Today the history of the early sport is abundant with interesting and attractive covers for collectors and aviation enthusiasts.
The first ‘heavier-than-air’ air race was held on 23 May 1909 – the Prix de Lagatinerie, at the Port-Aviation airport south of Paris, France. Thus a sport was born and continues to thrive today
First conceived as a promotional event to bolster the enterprises of Parks Air Lines, Inc., the Gardner Trophy Race became one of the major aerial events of 1929. Sanctioned by the National Aeronautic Association, the race had just one restriction; engine sizes were to be held under 800 cubic inches displacement. It was an “all-out” speed dash, with no handicaps. Prize offerings of over ten-thousand dollars attracted pilots from all across the across the United States. What resulted was a most unique air race featuring some of the biggest names in the business and a wide variety of airplanes.
In 1920, the idea of an Air Show first came to America from Europe when Joseph Pulitzer, publisher of the New York World, put up the money for a race on Long Island’s Mitchell Field. Pulitzer’s goal was to reawaken interest in aviation, which was suffering from post WWI apathy.
After the war the Aircraft Industrial Association, an aircraft manufactures trade group, brought back the races to Los Angeles and Cleveland to showcase the advances made during the war. Cleveland once again obtained a five-year franchise for the event.
The planes developed during the war dwarfed older aircraft but pilots could obtain used fighter aircraft like surplus P-51s for as little as $1,000. The 1946 event had a jet division and large scale military participation. Ninety pilots from across the country entered their modified surplus planes. Competition was intense after the seven-year layoff and the planes plus pilots had to pass strict safety/ability tests. Over 180,000 spectators paid to see Tex Johnson a 32 year old test pilot win the reciprocating engine (propeller) division at a speed of 373.908. That was 90 miles per hour faster than Roscoe Turner’s time in 1939.
The air races of the 1930s were one of Omaha, Nebraska’s favorite spectacles. Planes took flight and sped around the 5-mile course, flying 50-100 feet off the ground at 200 mph. The NSHS archives contains film footage of the Omaha Air Race of 1932.
Enjoy a browse of our inventory of Air Races, Air Shows and Special Event Covers at iHobb.com https://www.ihobb.com/c/COVERS_AIRSHOWS_EVENTS.html
